Victoria Baumann, a 32-year-old former preschool teacher, transitioned from a career in education to run Victoria Essie Studio, a North Carolina-based business that produces 3D-printed fidget toys and knickknacks. After quitting teaching in 2019 due to burnout, Baumann initially sold art and jewelry as a side business before making the studio her full-time job in 2022. The company, which produces tactile tools designed to help users concentrate or regulate emotions, generated approximately $428,000 in gross revenue and a net profit of about $94,000 in 2025. Baumann operates the business alongside her father, Charlie Moreton, a 51-year-old 3D printing hobbyist who joined the company in 2025. The duo produces various designs, including “cake” fidgets, heart-shaped chocolate boxes with clickable truffles, and items like inhalers and sticky note holders. The production process involves 3D printing plastic parts, which can take between 17 hours and four days depending on complexity, and assembling them, a task the pair can complete for about 100 units in less than an hour. Baumann currently pays herself a salary of $36,000 for 2025, with plans to increase it to $78,000 in 2026. The business serves a diverse customer base, including women and neurodivergent individuals, with products ranging from $5 to $125. While the studio has expanded to include 30 printers and a staff of 18 full-time employees in related ventures, Baumann notes that the business remains a primary focus for her. She stated that she is “definitely happier running a fidget business” than she was as a teacher, citing the low pay and stress of the teaching profession as primary reasons for her career pivot.